UTPB hires new vice president of Business Affairs

Published 2:10 pm, Thursday, January 5, 2012

With retirement on the horizon, UTPB Vice President of Business Affairs Chris Forrest is busy wrapping up loose ends and sharing information with the man who will fill his shoes.

After more than a decade with the university, Forrest said he will retire on March 2 and move to Austin to be near his family.

On March 5, Dale Cassidy will make the move from interim director of accounting to the position of vice president of Business Affairs.

Cassidy said he considers the move to UTPB sort of a “coming home,” having lived in Texas for 16 of the past 22 years. Most recently, he served as chief financial officer at Texas A&M University at Qatar and said the international experience was irreplaceable.

“I am excited to be here and back in the U.S. higher education marketplace,” Cassidy said. “My experience overseas was amazing, and my only regret was that I didn’t do it earlier.”

Cassidy has worked as an accountant for nearly 30 years and has focused specifically on higher education since 1991, serving as director of Education Advisory Services for Pricewaterhouse Coopers and director of Internal Audit at both the Tulane University and Hospital System and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

For Cassidy, working in higher education is a fun and exciting challenge.

“I discovered universities, especially research universities, are the environment that are challenging and exciting,” Cassidy said. “Universities are dozens and dozens of businesses rolled into one.”

Cassidy started at UTPB on Tuesday in the accounting department and is working to understand the university’s books.

“One of the quickest ways I can learn about the university and its operations is by looking at and understanding the numbers,” Cassidy said.

He also is reviewing applicants to permanently serve as director of accounting position, he said.

Provost Bill Fannin chaired the search committee to find Forrest’s replacement and said Cassidy is the right fit for UTPB.

“He’s a great person to have in the position because he has broad experience in the UT and A&M systems and experience in corporate accounting,” Fannin said.

As Forrest prepares to leave the university, he has been reflecting on how much it has grown in the past 10 years.

“If you look around the campus, it’s a different place entirely than it was 10 years ago. It’s more exciting,” Forrest said, noting the construction of student housing, a science and technology building and student center is a positive indication the university is growing.

As long as student housing is available, the university will continue to attract students from outside the region, something Forrest said is positive.

Additionally, Forrest said he was proud to see the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center open because it is something for the entire community, not just UTPB.

Looking ahead, Forrest said Cassidy will be instrumental in assuring the university develop facilities and programs that meet the community’s needs.